Israel confirms death of four more hostages held in Gaza

The three men, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Peri, were all aged 80 or older.

The Israeli military on Monday confirmed the deaths of four more hostages held by Hamas -- including three older men seen in a Hamas video begging for their release.

The three men, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Peri, were all aged 80 or older. Looking weak and wary, they appeared in a video in December released by Hamas under the title, “Don’t let us grow old here.”

The fourth hostage is identified as Nadav Popplewell.

The deaths added to the growing list of hostages who Israel says have died in captivity. On Oct. 7, Hamas took some 250 hostages back to Gaza.

Roughly half were released during a brief ceasefire period in November. Of some 130 remaining in the strip, about 85 are believed to still be alive.

That’s as Israeli leadership brushes aside a Biden proposal to end the war and initiate another hostages-for-prisoners exchange.